schrader



March 24, 1964 C. E- SCHRADER MULTI-EOSITION SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES Filed June 27, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 6 O 5 F W 5 v 5 3 7 m 3 4 w 5 4 w w 4 a .1 'LHH II II 2 I 4 5 4 a :G, I I G14 I \m? art 5 J l I 9 h 4 I 1 4 4. 6 v 5 9 5 6 III .v V H4 1 I 4 3 a w 6 7 9 o m 2 2 TQEBYVMPIW 3 4 w m 4 3 2 E Q 0 a VI 3 i a a 2 3 INVENTOR.

CL/FFORD E SCHRADER BY W 7714/ ATTORNEY Ma h 1964 c. E. SCHRADER MULTI-POSITION SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES Filed June 27, 1962 5 Sheets-$heet 2 mmO INVENTOR. CLIFFORD E \SCHRADER A Tram/Er United States Patent 3,126,462 MULTI-POSITION SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES Cliiford E. Schrader, Racine, Wis, assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, 21 corporation of Connecticut Filed June 27, 1962, Ser. No. 205,706 8 Claims. (Cl. 200-77) This invention relates to a multi-position switch for motor operated appliances, such as mixers, hair dryers, food disintegrating machines known as blenders, and other electrical appliances. The invention as shown and described herein is embodied in a blender power unit, in an eight position switch which provides seven motor speeds and an Oil position.

The main object of the invention is to provide a switch efficient for its purpose and controlled by an actuating handle movable in a straight direction by sliding action relatively to a speed indicia plate located on the appliance housing where it is conveniently visible and the handle is easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multispeed switch of the character described for a tapped field motor in which short circuiting of the tapped field is avoided. Short circuiting of a multi-speed motor may be avoided by employing a tapped resistance in series with the motor circuit, but the tapped resistance type has the objection that the resistance in series motor has much less power than the tapped field construction for the same no load speeds, and, further, the heat produced by the resistance must be dissipated quickly to prevent burning of the resistance. There is also the objection that the resistance unit and its mounting cost materially more than the tapped field construction employed in my invention.

I avoid short circuiting of the tapped field by providing a snap action switch in which the contact arm passes from one fixed contact to the next contact without contacting both at the same time.

In order to obtain the desired snap action of the switch, it is necessary to move the actuating handle beyond the selected speed marked on the speed indicia plate. It is desirable that the actuating handle points exactly to the indicia representing the chosen speed corresponding to the engaged contacts producing that speed. To attain this object and at the same time obtain the necessary snap action of the switch, the actuating handle and the movable contact arm of the switch are mounted on a free moving carriage, and when the carriage has been moved in either direction beyond the selected speed position, it automatically returns (when the handle is released) to the selected speed position corresponding to the vertical position of the movable contact arm for the selected speed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following specification in which the invention is shown and described as embodied in a blender, but, as stated, may be used in other motor operated appliances.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of part of a power unit provided with a switch embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the power unit.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the switch parts as they appear when moving from one speed position to another.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the 2. plane of the line 55 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 6-6 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction opposite that of FIG. 5, as indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of part of the switch mechanism, in the plane of the line 77 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, in the plane of the line 8-8 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a power unit housing 10 designed for a blender comprises a lower dished member 11, upper inverted cup member 12, and an intermediate radially inclined member 13, which enclose a motor (not shown) and switch mechanism indicated as a whole at 15. On the upper surface of the member 12 are four supports 16 secured to the member 12. The supports 16 are faced with resilient material such as rubber 17 for engaging a container closure cap (not shown).

The intermediate housing member 13 has a depressed panel at one end for reception of the motor speed indicia plate 20, on which eight positions of the movable contact arm of the switch are indicated by the word Oil and numerals 1 to 7, inclusive. The numerals 1 to 7 in clusive indicate the speeds recommended for designated operations by the words Whip, Puree, Grate, Chop, Mix, Blend and Liquefy, respectively. These words appear above the seven numerals on the plate 2b of the blender, but have been omitted in the drawing. Other wording indicating speeds or temperatures could be used if the switch were embodied in motor driven devices other than blenders. The numerals indicating the several speeds of the motor are arranged in a straight row as shown in FIG. 2, and the switch actuating handle 21 is movable in a direction parallel to the row of numerals.

Power units designed for other motor operated appliances may differ in form from the blender housing herein shown, but such variations do not affect the basic features of the switch construction and operation. Obviously the switch construction may be varied to provide for speeds other than those described herein.

The switch mechanism 15 comprises two major units, namely, the contact making and breaking mechanism and the switch actuating means. The latter is located between the handle 21 and the movable contact arm of the make and break mechanism.

The contact make and break parts include a supporting plate 25 of insulating material, rectangular in shape, fiat, and long enough to have eight spaced apart apertures located therein in a straight row as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Seven of the apertures 26 are vertically aligned with the numerals on the speed indicia plate 20 and the aperture 26' is aligned with the Oil? designation. The apertures 26 are slightly elongated in a vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

A common contact plate 27 in the form of an angle plate is attached to the upper half of the insulating support 25, and as shown in FIG. 6, that portion of the plate 27 which rests against the side of the insulating support 25 is provided with apertures 28 which register with the apertures 26 in support 25, and one aperture 23' which registers with the aperture 26'. The common contact plate 27 is connected by wire 27 to the motor circuit.

Separate, spaced apart, fixed contacts 29 in the form of fiat circular plates, seven in number in this embodiment, are arranged in a straight row and attached by shanks 3b to the insulating support 25 below the common contact plate 27 and insulated therefrom. The contacts 29 are aligned vertically with the apertures 28 of the plate 27, as shown in FIG. 6. The shanks 36 of the contacts 29 extend through the insulating support and each shank is connected to an electrical wire 31 to the tapped motor field (not shown). Only one of the seven wires 31 is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, but all are iden tical. The wires 31 may be encased in a conduit 32 as shown in FIG. 1.

The insulating support 25, with common contact plate 27 and plurality of fixed contacts 29 mounted thereon, is stationarily mounted by any suitable means within the housing member 11. It may be attached to or be a part of the support 33 of the switch actuating mechanism (to be described hereinafter) connected at 34 to the housing member 13.

The contact end 35 of a movable contact arm 36 is designed to successively engage the fixed contacts 29. The contact arm 36 is tongue shaped and integral with the spring metal arm 37 which carries on its upper free end a semi-spherical detent 38. The detent 38 successively engages the registering apertures 26 and 28 in the support 25 and plate 27, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 when the movable contact arm 36 is actuated as hereinafter explained.

The movable contact member, comprising the integral spring metal arms 36, 37, is riveted at 39 to an insulating backing 40 and bracket 41. As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket consists of an upright flat piece 41 which rests against the insulating backing 4i and extends downwardly beyond the backing 49, then horizontally at 42 and upwardly at 43. The face of the bracket 41 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, from which it is apparent that the portion 41 visible below the arm 37 is wider than the portions 42, 43 of the bracket. Adjacent each side of the wider vertical portion of the bracket 41 is an ear 44 which extends horizontally toward the switch actuating mechanism to provide a spring bearing shelf for a purpose to be described.

Before describing the mounting of the contact arms 36, 37 and bracket 4144, in the switch construction, reference will be made to the switch actuating mechanism to which said movable contact arm and bracket are pivotally connected.

The switch actuating unit, located between the handle. 21 and the contact make and break means heretofore described, is shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5. It comprises a carriage track plate 45, vertically disposed, parallel with and equal in length to the switch supporting plate 25'. The cross sectional shape of the carriage track plate 45 is shown in FIG. 1, where the upper and lower horizontally extending ribs 46 provide guide surfaces and grooves which are engaged by rollers 47 loosely mounted on vertical shafts 48 and rollers 49 on vertical shafts 50. The shafts 48 are mounted on their upper ends in the horizontal flange 51 of a vertical carriage 52, and at their lower ends in the horizontally extending ears 53 on the carriage 52. The shafts are engaged by opposite curved vertical edge portions 54 of the carriage 52. The handle 21 is connected to the upper flange 51 of the carriage 52 by an extension 55 which may be integral with the flange 51. The. carriage members 51, 52, 53 together with the shafts 48, 5t), and rollers 47, 49, thus move as a unit longitudinally of the carrlage track plate 45 when actuated by the handle 21.

The described carriage unit is connected to the movable contact arm unit by a horizontal shaft which extends through the bracket members 41 and 43 and through the Vertical member 52 of the carriage. A wire spring 61 is wrapped around the shaft 60 in its flanged portion between the carriage member 52 and the bracket 41. Opposite ends 62 of the wire spring 61 rest on the ears 44 ofthe contact arm bracket 41 and on ears 56 of the carriage 52. The ears 56 project from the carriage member 52 toward the bracket 41, and are first inclined downwardly and then upwardly to provide a trough 57 the 2- lowest part of which is in a plane slightly above the plane of the ears 44 of the contact arm bracket when the arm 36 is in vertical position, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. Thus the spring 61, with its ends 62 hearing on the ears 56, normally'maintains the arms 36, 37 in vertical positions wherein said arm 36 is either in the Off position or is engaging one of the fixed contacts 29 for speeds l to 7, respectively, while the detent 38 is engaging the ()ff position aperture 28 or one of the apertures 28 in the common contact plate 27 aligned with the contact 29 engaged by the contact arm 36.

Operation: To move the integral contact arm 36 and detent arm 37 to a selected speed position, the operator slides the handle 21 longitudinally in the slot 63 in the housing beneath the indicia plate 26, the movement being in a straight horizontal direction parallel to the row of numerals on the plate. Moving the handle 21 imparts horizontal movement to the carriage unit 4753 relatively to the track plate 45, and the carriage unit carries with it the horizontalshaft 61). Since the movable contact unit 3644 is pivotally mounted on shaft 61 the movement of the shaft in a horizontal direction causes the contact making unit to pivot about the shaft 60 while the detent 38 temporarily maintains engagement with one of the apertures 28 in the plate 27 and at the same time the contact end 35 of arm 36 temporarily maintains contact with the fixed contact 29 which is vertically aligned with the detent-engaged aperture.

As shown in FIG. 3, the contact arm 36 and detent arm 37 are in the 3 speed position, and in FIG. 4, the handle 21 has been moved toward the 2 speed position, thereby pivotally moving the contact making unit 36-44 about the shaft 60 and simultaneously bodily moving the unit as a whole toward the 2 position. This results in pulling the detent 38 out of engagement with the aperture 28 which is aligned with the 3 position and causing the detent to snap into the next aperture 28 which is aligned with the 2 position. Simultaneously, this snap action also moves the contact arm 36'from the fixed contact 29 aligned with the 3 indicia to the fixed contact 29 aligned with the 2 position. The handle 21 must be moved from the "3 position slightly beyond the "2 position to effect this snap action as described, but as soon as released by the operator, the handle and the carriage unit automatically slide back to the selected new position, with the arms 36 and 37 in the vertical positions in which they are normally maintained under influence of spring 61 with ends 62 bearing on cars 5657.

The action described with respect to the movement of the carriage unit and the make and break unit from the 3 speed position of FIG. 3 toward the 2 speed position of FIG. 4 is illustrative of the movement of the switch parts which occurs when the handle 21 is moved in either direction.

Changes may be made in details of construction and in the form of the parts, as well as in the number of positions for which the switch may be designed, without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A multi-position snap action switch for motor operated electrical appliances comprising (a) a carriage track,

(b) a carriage movable longitudinally on the track,

(c) an actuating handle connected to the carriage,

(d) a stationary insulating support parallel to the track,

(e) an electrically connected common contact member,

(f) a plurality of fixed spaced apart electricalcontacts mounted in a row on the insulating support,

(g) a pivotally mounted contact arm carried by the carriage successively contacting said fixed contacts when the carriage is moved longitudinally on the track, and

(h) means associated with the contact arm slidingly engaging said common contact member,

(i) movement of said carriage imparting simultaneous pivotal and bodily movement to said contact arm for passing from one fixed contact to another.

2. The multi-position snap action switch defined by claim 1 which includes (a) a speed indicia plate on which a plurality of speed designations are arranged in a row, each designation being aligned with one of the fixed spaced apart electrical contacts.

3. The multi-position snap action switch defined by claim 1 in which (a) the common contact member has a plurality of apertures therein each aligned with a fixed contact on the insulating support, and

(b) the means associated with the contact arm engaging said common contact member is a spring metal arm having a detent thereon adapted successively to engage said apertures.

4. The multi-position snap action switch defined by claim 1 in which the carriage comprises (a) a plate spaced from and parallel to the track,

(b) upper and lower flanges on the plate extending across the carriage track,

() a pair of roller carrying shafts mounted in said flanges, said rollers bearing on one side of the carriage track, and

(d) rollers carried by the carriage plate bearing on the opposite side of the track.

5. A multi-position snap action switch for motor operated electrical appliances comprising (a) a carriage track,

(b) a carriage movable longitudinally on the track,

(0) an actuating handle connected to the carriage,

(d) a stationary insulating support parallel to the track,

(e) an electrically connected common contact member having a row of apertures therein mounted on the insulating support,

(f) a plurality of fixed spaced apart electrical contacts mounted in a row on the insulating support, each fixed contact being aligned with an aperture in the common contact member,

(g) a movable contact arm,

(h) a detent carrying arm connected to the movable contact arm for engagement of the detent with the apertures in the common contact member,

(i) a shaft on which the contact arm is pivotally mounted projecting from the carriage, and

(j) a spring mounted on the shaft having opposite ends bearing on parts of the movable contact arm and the carriage urging the movable contact arm and detent carrying arm into engagement with a fixed contact and an aperture in the common contact member aligned with each other.

6. The switch defined by claim 5 which includes (a) a speed indicia plate on which a plurality of speed designations are arranged in a row, each designation being aligned with one of the fixed contacts.

7. A multi-position switch for motor operated electrical appliances comprising (a) a speed indicia plate on which a plurality of speed designations are arranged in a row,

(b) a carriage track parallel to the row of designations,

(c) a carriage movable longitudinally of the track,

(d) a stationary insulating support,

(e) an electrically connected common contact plate,

(7) a plurality of fixed spaced apart electrical contacts mounted in a row on the insulating support, each of said fixed contacts being aligned with a speed designation on the indicia plate,

(g) a contact arm carried by the carriage slidingly engaging the common contact member and successively contacting the fixed contacts when the carriage is moved on the track, and

(h) a handle connected to the carriage and movable to positions aligned with said designations on the indicia plate.

8. A multi-position snap action switch for motor operated electrical appliances comprising (a) a handle actuated carriage,

(b) a stationary insulating support,

(0) a plurality of electrically connected fixed spaced apart contacts mounted in a row on the insulating support,

(d) an electrically connected contact arm pivotally mounted on the carriage and successively engaging said fixed contacts, and

(e) means imparting combined pivotal and bodily movement to the contact arm by moving the carriage longitudinally of said row of fixed contacts to thereby move the contact arm from one fixed contact to another.

No references cited. 

1. A MULTI-POSITION SNAP ACTION SWITCH FOR MOTOR OPERATED ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES COMPRISING (A) A CARRIAGE TRACK, (B) A CARRIAGE MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY ON THE TRACK, (C) AN ACTUATING HANDLE CONNECTED TO THE CARRIAGE, (D) A STATIONARY INSULATING SUPPORT PARALLEL TO THE TRACK, (E) AN ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED COMMON CONTACT MEMBER, (F) A PLURALITY OF FIXED SPACED APART ELECTRICAL CONTACTS MOUNTED IN A ROW ON THE INSULATING SUPPORT, (G) A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED CONTACT ARM CARRIED BY THE CARRIAGE SUCCESSIVELY CONTACTING SAID FIXED CONTACTS WHEN THE CARRIAGE IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY ON THE TRACK, AND 